Manager Terry Francona said the lefthanded reliever has dealt with something similar in the past, so the organization will take a cautious approach. Doubront was examined and the results showed his elbow is structurally sound.

"You won't see him out there for the near future," Francona said. "He's had this before and we would rather not go three or four days [of rest] and then have him throw and nurse it through. He's too young and potentially too good, so we're going to take a more cautious approach."

The 23-year-old pitched well in 2010 for Double-A Portland, Triple-A Pawtucket and for the Red Sox. He's a starter by trade, but the team believes Doubront could be an effective reliever at the big league level and he is expected to compete for a spot in the Red Sox bullpen.

"I need to pitch well in the spring for them to make a change and put me with the relievers," Doubront said. "I just want to be a part of the team and do my job."

He worked a total of 12 games (three starts) for the Red Sox last season and posted a 2-2 record with a 4.32 ERA. Doubront recorded 23 strikeouts and 10 walks in 25 innings.

"I just want to be up there and stay," he said. "I want to be a part of the team for the whole year."